- On Saturday, December 14, 2024, a report emerged in the polity claiming that INEC Chairman Mahmood Yakubu had died in a London hospital following a brief illness, the report spread rapidly on social media, leading to widespread concern among Nigerians
- INEC’s Chief Press Secretary, Rotimi Oyekanmi, issued a statement denying the claims and confirming that the chairman is in good health
- Shehu Sani, a former senator and prominent member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), took to social media to address the death rumour
Legit.ng journalist Esther Odili has over two years of experience covering political parties and movements.
Shehu Sani, the senator who represented Kaduna Central in the eighth National Assembly, has reacted to rumours of the demise of Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Chairman Mahmood Yakubu.
Photo credit: Senator Shehu Sani, INEC Nigeria
Source: Facebook
Death rumour of INEC chairman stirs concerns
A report on Saturday, December 14, alleged that Yakubu had died in London following a “brief illness”.
In a swift reaction to the development, INEC’s Chief Press Secretary, Rotimi Oyekanmi, dismissed the rumour that its chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, passed away at a London hospital in the United Kingdom.
INEC said in a statement that the fake news narrative circulating on social media appeared on Monday, December 9th, 2024.
The commission said Prof. Yakubu is alive, hale, and hearty and has not travelled to London in the last two years.
INEC chairman’s death: Shehu Sani addresses rumour
But Shehu Sani, in a post shared on his X page on Saturday, debunked the rumours.
The former Kaduna senator and PDP chieftain, Sani tweeted:
“An Online media reported that the INEC Chair is dead, yesterday I saw him in white. May be it’s the ghost.”
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INEC chairman risks jail term
Earlier, Legit.ng reported that the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) filed a contempt lawsuit against Yakubu.
SERAP filed the suit against the INEC boss for “failing to investigate the allegations of electoral offences committed during the 2023 general elections, identify suspected perpetrators and their sponsors, and ensure their effective prosecution.”
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Source: Legit.ng